


His Duty

by StarFusion617



Series: Smosh Summer Games: Wild West AU [2]
Category: Smosh
Genre: Angst, Both of them need a hug, Cowbaes are the good guys, Cowbaes versus Randy Bandits, Hurt!Damien, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pistols, Protective!Damien, Protective!Shayne, Recordings, Sorry Not Sorry, Wes is a good person, gunfight, shootout, some violence, someone please help these boys, sound recordings, the Randy Bandits are actually kind of evil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-19 14:38:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20658881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarFusion617/pseuds/StarFusion617
Summary: When the one who watches is taken, will they suffer in the dark?





	His Duty

**Author's Note:**

> So idk where this came from but I decided to continue this and make it a series. I might add more if anyone wants me to. I might take a few requests

Life was good.

Or so they thought.

Damien peered around the corner of the building, newly acquired white bandanna fluttering gently with each slow breath. He was on a scouting mission for the Cowbaes, attempting to find out where the Randy Bandits were stationed, or at least where they were likely to strike next. So far, he had found nothing.

Seeing no one, Damien stepped out from behind the building, one hand resting on his holstered gun. At least upon joining the Cowbaes, he had been allowed to keep his gun. The pistol had belonged to him for years, and he had grown almost as close with his trusty weapon as he had with any person.

Except Shayne. His life the past few days with Shayne had been amazing, and he had come to enjoy stopping Bandit raids or practicing shooting with the other Cowbae. The thought made him miss his near constant companion, but this was a task he had to complete alone. Shayne was on the other side of town, in the middle of his own scouting mission, just like the rest of the Cowbaes.

Damien, taking slow measured steps forward as his mind wandered, suddenly stopped. Below him, freshly imprinted in the dirt, were footsteps. The set of prints led away towards the outskirts of town. Damien knew his sudden feeling of uneasiness had nothing to do with the prints, and everything to do with where they headed. The last time he had been close to the edge of town had been when he had saved Shayne from the Bandits, back when he himself still was one. Even so, he ignored the feeling of his stomach coiling and began to follow the footprints.

After ten minutes of walking, and the prints evolving from one set to multiple, they stopped. It seemed like the Bandits had been split up and met where Damien was standing. He looked around carefully, pistol now held out in front of him as he swung it from side to side.

He had followed the footprints to the beginning of the open desert-like terrain surrounding the small western town for miles and miles. There were very few places to hide out here, but Damien wasn’t the only one who knew how to use the setting to his advantage. The whole of both gangs had learned very quickly to rely on the layout of the land they lived in. Everyone knew how to hide in the rolling dips of sand, fold themselves behind dry bushes, or press themselves to the ground behind clumps of shifting tumbleweeds.

Damien paused upon seeing no one, gun still raised, and brought a hand to his forehead to lift the rim of his now-beige cowboy hat. It had been hard to leave his old one behind, much like how he imagined Shayne had felt as he stared hopelessly at his hat in the hands of the Bandits, but he had consoled himself in knowing that in order to start a new chapter of his life, the hat needed to go. And he wanted to start said new chapter as fast as he could, because Shayne was a part of it.

Shaking thoughts of his boyfriend—he still marveled at the fact that he could call Shayne that—from his mind, he returned his focus to his surroundings. He finally lowered his gun, beginning to walk forward across the sandy expanse and peering behind clusters of bushes. Just ahead, a lone copse of dying trees seemed like a good place to stop. The sand drifted on the soft breeze, stinging slightly and making tinkling noises as it hit his boots and hat. Damien shielded his eyes from the tiny grains and holstered his gun as he turned around. He would tell the Cowbaes that he had followed a trail of footprints and found nothing, and they would come out as a group to investigate more thoroughly.

As soon as he turned around, he realized he had forgotten to take into account why the footprints had suddenly disappeared when only soft sand surrounded him.

Before he could do anything, arms locked around his throat as a solid weight slammed into his back. He stumbled forward onto his knees, choking on air that wasn’t there and clawing desperately at the arms with one hand while the other went for his gun. He brought the pistol up and around to aim awkwardly at his attacker, but his gun was wrestled away.

Damien cursed himself as five successive thuds sounded and he was surrounded by the blurring, black and red figures of the Bandits as they ran around him. He managed to punch his immediate attacker with one hand, but another Bandit grabbed both just as quickly and tied them together as the arms around his neck loosened. Damien thrashed and rolled sideways, kicking out strongly with both feet, and managed to catch a kneeling Bandit in the side of the face. He struggled up and stumbled forward, back towards town, but he was tackled to the ground after a mere glimpse of freedom.

Figuring he had no dignity left to lose and that anything would be better than nothing, he shrieked at the top of his lungs. They weren’t coherent words, just noise, but it didn’t even matter because he only got a single shout out before the Bandits yanked his bandanna from his head and forced it between his jaws.

He struggled, angry protests muffled by the cloth, and felt one of the Bandits pin his legs to the sand. He rolled onto his side, using the shifting sand to enable movement, but the Bandits caught him and forced him onto his stomach, pressing his face into the ground. He grunted and tensed the muscles along his shoulders and back, trying to raise himself up onto his elbows.

“Tie his ankles!” he heard someone shout, and recognized Mari’s voice. He could do nothing as the command was followed and he was pulled to his knees. In moments, all he could feel was pain.

He gasped as white-hot fire flared to life in his shoulder blade, and everything went dark.

Damien woke in the very same basement he recognized from when Shayne was taken captive the first night. Glancing up, he could just make out the window, meaning it was night. No stars glittered in the sky, and he tugged at his wrists, only to realize they were bound in front of him to the post. At his movement, pain danced across his right shoulder, and he twisted his head around to see what caused it. He quickly turned back around, resting his forehead against the post as he tried to quell the sudden nausea in his stomach at the sight of burned flesh.

They had branded him. He couldn’t properly see what the symbol was from his angle, but he knew it to be true like he knew he had been captured by the Bandits.

Shayne returned from his scouting mission unharmed, gun holstered at his waist and cowboy hat balanced atop his messy blond hair. He pulled his bandanna down from his nose and mouth as he stepped inside the large restaurant the Cowbaes had set up camp at for a few days.

He was greeted with six Cowbaes, all smiling and holding up glasses of beer and other drinks, but he scanned them for only one face. One face he couldn’t find.

“Guys, where’s Damien?” he asked, batting away a drink someone offered and catching Wes’ eye. The Cowbae shrugged.

“He hasn’t returned yet,” he answered, gaze turning wary as he stared Shayne down.

“His route was shorter than any of ours. What’s taking him so long?” Shayne countered immediately.

Wes stepped back, suddenly looking smaller than he usually did. “Do you think something happened?” he asked carefully. Shayne scowled.

“Yes.”

Wes’ expression twisted into a frown, eyes suddenly alight with fear and some other, flickering emotion that Shayne couldn’t identify.

“We have to find him,” Shayne said, somehow hoping it would break the unfamiliar look in the normally calm Cowbae’s eyes. It scared him to see Wes like this, but at the same time he knew he himself was no better. He schooled his features into his usual cool mask, much the same as the other Cowbaes. All of them were now still and silent, watching.

“We’ll go in the morning. It’s getting dark, and we’ll likely only get ambushed,” Wes compromised. Despite himself, Shayne grinned. This was the level-headed, steady presence he needed from Wes right now. He mentally berated himself for ever doubting the Cowbae.

“We’ll go in the morning,” he echoed.

Damien jerked upright to the sound of footsteps coming down the wooden stairs he remembered all too well. He twisted his head around to look as all six Bandits appeared out of the growing light of dawn and formed a small group behind him.

“You betrayed us,” Mari, the Bandit in front, accused, voice turning down in a scowl. The Bandit to her left grinned happily, eyes glinting with malice as she tipped her hat back. The other Bandit’s faces were shadowed by their hats, but Damien could feel their hateful glares.

“You will feel what that stupid cow felt when he was trapped here. And this time, there will be no one to save you, since you would so obviously prefer to give your own life in place of his,” the Bandit to Mari’s left snarled. It was Olivia.

Damien knew they weren’t talking about his literal life, however much it might be true to say so. Instead, they meant his life with the Bandits, which he willingly gave up in favor of saving Shayne and joining the Cowbaes. He lifted his head at the clear truth ringing in the words. He did not regret his decision, and he would take whatever they gave him, just as his boyfriend had all those days ago.

_He would make it his duty_, he thought as the blows rained down. Shayne had gone through this at his former allies’ hands. He would not fall.__

_ __ _

_His duty._

_ __ _

_ _ Shayne woke early the next day. His only thoughts were on Damien, and he quickly roused the rest of the Cowbaes. They filed out the door of the restaurant, guns in holsters and bandannas pulled high on their faces. Hats lowered over their brows, they began the walk to where Damien’s route had started yesterday afternoon._ _

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

Shayne struggled to focus on the walk with images of Damien hurt at the hands of the Bandits flickering through his mind. He had suffered at their mercy, and he hoped with everything he had that Damien was not going through the same pain. Though, he had little confidence in that notion.

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

_It didn’t matter_, he told himself, because they were on their way. They would help. _He_ would help. He would make it his duty.____

_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _

_His duty.___

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Damien groaned and opened his eyes. The dirty window above him, the same one that he had watched Shayne through, filtered weak rays of sunlight. The dust danced through the air in front of his face before he focused on his surroundings and struggled to straighten. His position, tied to the post like one would be for a lashing, hadn’t allowed him to do more than slump once his beating was over, and his back muscles were on fire._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ He purposely ignored the aching pain lancing through his back and ribs from the punches and kicks, instead focusing on thoughts of Shayne. He hadn’t even been taunted yet, but his boyfriend had. He unwillingly pictured Shayne tied to this post with his hands behind him, body covered in bruises, anguish clear on his face as he watched, helpless, as his beloved hat was dangled just out of reach. Shayne had harbored no hope that he would ever be rescued, because he had seen the sum of money necessary for his freedom. Damien at least knew he would eventually be found by the Cowbaes because Shayne would know to check here.________  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Damien exhaled slowly, letting out a quiet, almost inaudible whine. He was trapped, and no matter how much he knew he would be saved, the unfamiliar feeling still pressed down on his chest, forcing his breaths to come in short gasps. He ground his teeth together over the gag and shoved his forehead into the post in a feeble attempt to ground himself. The only problem was, he didn’t want to be grounded in a reality that he only wished to escape from._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ He whined again, low and broken, and let his head slip down the post. The brand burned on his shoulder, a constant reminder of the situation he had gotten himself into. He imagined the mark glowing with real fire, bright and orange and swirling, engulfing him in its incredible heat and white blaze. In his mind, the fire lit up his face behind his eyes, swallowing his familiar features in flickering flames as the fire poured from inside._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ He screamed, long and tortured, as the fire took over his vision completely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Damien forced himself awake at the noise of footsteps on the stairs. He had passed out from exhaustion and pain, and he didn’t bother to turn his head and watch the Bandits appear. As the footsteps got closer, he felt a Bandit’s rough hand shove his head down as the sounds faded past him. He brought it up again to see two Bandits standing in front of him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ It was Ian and Noah. They glared from behind black hats and bandannas, and Damien realized for the first time that his own hat had fallen in the midst of his beating, and it now rested on the floor near his knee. Noah snatched it up and dangled the hat in front of his face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “You weren’t watching for all of the beatings. Only the nightly ones,” he pointed out. Damien’s brows furrowed in a mixture of sorrow and regret. The Bandit was right. The only reason he even knew about the Bandits’ other actions was because of Shayne’s story about the beige cowboy hat, back when Damien had tried to give it back in the closed lodge._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “We’d like to show you exactly what we did to your boyfriend,” Ian spat, voice dripping with venomous hatred as he said the last word. He bit the end off like it personally offended him to say it, which might actually not be that far off from the truth. The Bandits didn’t like Shayne any more than they liked Damien at this point._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “Have fun,” Noah finished, and the Bandits left, but not before Noah threw the hat to the ground and twisted his boot heel into the woven fabric._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Damien watched them, confused, until a sound suddenly flickered to life in front of him. From the darkness came sounds of rustling, like ropes being strained, and then Lasercorn’s voice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “So, one of the famous Cowbaes, tied up at our mercy. How interesting...” Damien realized that they had recorded the time that Shayne was held hostage, and were now playing it back. He recognized this one-sided conversation from the first time he had watched Shayne suffer at the hands of the Bandits._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “How’d you get here? Caught and lassoed like the cow that you are?” That was Mari’s voice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “Well, at least we get to do whatever we want with you while we pretend to wait for the money we already know you can’t pay. It’ll do them good to see a fellow Cowbae a little bruised at our hands, don’t you think?” And Noah’s, exactly how Damien remembered it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Suddenly all three Bandits burst into detrimental laughter, and Damien could almost see Shayne glaring up at them, determined even as he was bound and gagged at their feet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “This is for every time you’ve ever aimed that pistol of yours at one of my friends,” Lasercorn snarled, and Damien winced at the sound of the Bandit’s foot connecting with what he remembered to be Shayne’s ribs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The sounds of Shayne getting beaten were enough to nearly send Damien to tears, albeit silent ones, but this was a scene he was familiar with. Over the next hour, the recording played every single time the Bandits had done anything to Shayne, including both memories Damien had been there for and new scenes that played in his mind as he listened. Shayne’s screams filled the air for some, grunts and winded rushes of air for others, and broken sobs for still more as the Bandits teased the Cowbae to no end._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Damien’s chest filled with a tight, suffocating feeling as he pictured Shayne watching the Bandits take his hat, mock him with his own bandanna, lure him with food, taunt him with water on particularly hot days, spit insults at him left and right, constantly hiss that his friends could never save him, humiliate him by forcing him to complete tasks, and deliver heavy blows along with nasty words aimed to break the Cowbae’s spirit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Instead of breaking Damien’s spirit, too, it strengthened his resolve. His boyfriend had gone through so much while he wasn’t able to help, and he would not let himself break before he could return to Shayne and tell him exactly how false those repeated insults were._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The uncertain, sorrowful looks and insecure, detrimental glances suddenly made sense to Damien, and he vowed to make the Bandits pay severely for what they had done to Shayne’s sense of self-worth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ He would be the first to land a blow. But only after showing Shayne that he was worth it, worth being a Cowbae, worth saving from the Bandits, and worth Damien’s attention and love. And he would continue to show him for the rest of their lives._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ It was his duty._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Shayne worked his way along the wall of a building, ignoring the way the splintered wood caught in his shirt. He could see the building that he had been kept in the first night of his capture ahead, and he signaled behind him for the others to come forward._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The remaining Cowbaes had found the trail of footprints in the dirt, one set about a foot apart from another. Following what Shayne knew to be Damien’s footprints following the Bandit’s, they came across the point where the Bandit’s footprints doubled and tripled as the gang members met up. Damien’s separate set still followed alongside._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Finally, the Cowbaes had come to the place where the Bandit’s footprints disappeared. Damien’s circled around, clearly searching, before turning towards the town again. Right then were signs of a scuffle, and Shayne knew the Bandits had used the copse of trees next to the trailing footprints to their advantage and ambushed Damien._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Wes, directly behind Shayne at the wall, stepped up to stand behind him, and Shayne caught half of the others doing the same out of the corner of his eye. Across from him, Courtney slunk along the side of the building next to his, with the other half of the Cowbaes following closely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “That’s the building they kept me in the first night,” Shayne explained, pointing with his gun at said structure. Courtney nodded, face hidden, and Shayne turned to catch Wes’ mirroring movement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “I think they want us to find him, because there’s no way they would take him back now. Not after he betrayed them like that. Which can only mean they’re torturing him somehow as a form of revenge,” Shayne continued, voice breaking on the word “torturing.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “We’ll get him, and then we’ll give those Bandits what they’ve got coming,” Wes snarled behind Shayne, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Shayne glanced at him gratefully, offering a small smile, before moving forward again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Wes’ hand dropped from his shoulder as the Cowbaes moved forward in one unit, sights set intently on the building in front of them. They would get Damien out. Shayne would get Damien out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ It was his duty._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “I see them. Careful,” Shayne warned from the front of the gang. The Cowbaes had snuck into the building’s upper floor after finding the hole Shayne and Damien had escaped through the first time newly blocked up. They were careful not to get caught, but soon they would have to fight. Two Bandits passed by in front of them, chattering quietly about something. Shayne peered around the room, seeing no one, and motioning for the others to follow._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ They made it to the top of the stairs leading to the basement before a shout stopped them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “Hey! Stop them!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Immediately the room devolved into chaos, bullets whizzing through the air and pinging off of random surfaces. The shouts and protests of both gangs were muffled by the sounds of gunshots. Shayne ducked behind the open door to the basement, waiting until the Bandits had lost track of him and weren’t paying attention any longer before darting downstairs. He heard nothing to tell him he had been seen above the noises of the gunfight._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “Damien! Damien, are you alright?” Shayne asked quietly, running across the room to the post his boyfriend was tied to. Damien’s eyes were closed, but they flickered open at Shayne’s frantic touch. Shayne pulled the bandanna out of his mouth and pocketed it, just as Damien had done for him days ago. He also grabbed the beige cowboy hat trampled into the ground nearby._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “Shayne...” Damien murmured, hands straining at the ropes binding them as if he were trying to do the same. Shayne pulled his bandanna down around his neck and quickly sawed through the ropes with his own knife, remembering when Damien had done so for him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “It’s okay, Damien. We’re gonna get you out. You’re safe now,” Shayne muttered, hating the way Damien’s voice was raspy from disuse. He gently pulled his boyfriend to his feet, trying his best not to hurt him but knowing they didn’t have much time. Damien seemed to sense this, though, because he made no complaints._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Shayne guided Damien up the stairs towards the upper floor, listening to the way the gunshots had died down into muffled bursts. The Cowbaes, just as they had planned, must have lured the Bandits into thinking they could win through retreat by leading them outside._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Shayne and Damien stole away through the side door, and once they had gotten far enough away, Shayne fired a single shot straight up into the air. Damien flinched beside him, and Shayne ran his fingers through the other Cowbae’s hair to soothe him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ After they had walked almost to the Cowbaes’ temporary camp, the rest of the gang caught up with them. Courtney and Wes took the lead while the rest of them surrounded Shayne and Damien in a protective circle, guns holstered yet hands resting ready on top of them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The shouts of the Bandits had long faded when they got to the camp, and Shayne realized that the plan had gone exactly how it was supposed to. Two of the Cowbaes were missing, which was why the Bandits hadn’t chased them, and Shayne knew they would come back unscathed soon enough. They were smart, and hadn’t fired a “trouble” shot into the sky._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Surprisingly, when Shayne cleaned Damien’s wounds and bandanna and replaced it on his face along with his hat, Damien’s eyes showed no exhaustion or pain. Instead, they shone with sorrow and determination, staring straight into Shayne’s._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “Damien?” Shayne asked once his boyfriend was completely cleaned up and resting on a bed inside the lodging building near their camp._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “Hmmm?” Damien hummed, turning his head to look at Shayne._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “What’s up?” Shayne asked, knowing the familiar wording would work better than any formal sentiment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Damien sighed and turned completely to face Shayne. “They recorded everything,” he began._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “Recorded you?” Shayne asked. Damien shook his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “You. They played back the recordings of every time they did anything to you, from the nightly beatings to the taunts and insults I wasn’t watching for,” he clarified. Shayne’s face twisted into something between regret and self-deprecation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “I’m sorry, Damien. You had to go through that because I was caught in the first place,” he mumbled, tracing the back of Damien’s hand with his fingertips. Damien flipped his hand over and caught Shayne’s fingers before he could pull away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “That’s exactly what I want to tell you. Shayne, I understand now why you always look at me like I’m suddenly gonna walk away. Nothing that happened is your fault. None of it. And I really want you to be able to stop believing I’m going to leave you for something you can’t control.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Shayne shook his head, opening his mouth to protest, but Damien cut him off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “None of those insults were true. No matter how many times those awful Bandits drilled them into your head, none of it is true, Shayne. And I want you to be able to see that for yourself,” Damien explained._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “I’m not even sure why you still want to be with me,” Shayne muttered, gaze turned to the floor. “Why am I so important to you?” he asked guiltily. “I’ve only hurt you.” Damien put a hand to Shayne’s chin and tilted his head up so their gazes met and locked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “You’re worth it. Whatever you’re thinking right now, or whatever you’ve thought in the past, it’s not true,” Damien said forcefully, yet still somehow gentle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “I’m not...” Shayne started, unsure and faltering, but Damien shook his head, following his boyfriend’s eyes when they drifted away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “I will spend every day from now on showing you that you are, so that maybe someday you can believe it yourself. You are worth it, Shayne._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “You are worth me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Their third kiss was bittersweet. It was perfect._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> As of now, the next part will be a short little thing about Shayne finding out about the brand.


End file.
